Alarm-bell.



. G. PRIESTER.

ALARM BELL.

APPLiCATlON FILED JAN. 23. 19H. 1,251,919; Patented Jan. 1,1918.

I 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

P. G. PRIESTER.

ALARM BELL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 23,191?- 1,251,919, Patented Jan. 1,1918.

' 2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

1Q if i PHILIP e. PRIESTER, or cA'roNsvILnE, MARYLAND.

ALARM-BELL.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP G. PRIESTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Catonsville, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarm- Bells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to alarm bells for fire apparatus, and more particularly automobile or self propelled fire engines, trucks and the like.

The invention has for its object to provide an alarm bell which is operated by the engine, an actuating connection between the engine shaft and the clapper of the bell be ing provided, together with a means for throwing the actuating connection into and out of gear, and a means whereby the bell may be sounded by a manual operation.

The object stated is attained by means of a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a spring-regulating device, and

Fig. 3 1s a plan view of the invention, also partly in section.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 5 denotes the side bars of the frame of an automobile fire engine or other self propelled fire fighting apparatus, said bars being connected in front by a cross-bar 6. The drawings show the front end of the frame only as this sutfices for an understanding of the invention. A fragment of the engine crank shaft is shown at 7. The engine and other parts of the apparatus have not been illustrated as they are immaterial. In line with the crank shaft 7 is a starting shaft 8 having a crank handle 9, the two shafts having the usual cooperating clutch means 10 whereby the starting shaft is coupled to the engine shaft when the former is pushed rearward. This is also a well known motor vehicle ap pliance'and a further description thereof is therefore not necessary. I

At 11 is shown a housing, the front and rear walls of which support a shaft 12 on which is mounted for rotation a cam 13 in Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Jan. 11,1918.

Application filed January 23, 1917. Serial No. 143,894.

contact with the periphery of which is onei end of a follower 1 1 which is fitted at its other end with a ball 15 which is locatedinside a bell 16 and serves as the clapper thereof. The follower extends from the housing 11 and is fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a shaft 17 carried by the cross-bar 6, which latter may be a channel bar between the side flanges of which the shaft extends, with an opening 18 in the top web of the bar through which passes carries the ball 15.

Around the shaft 17 is coiled a spring 19 having one of its ends anchored to a collar 20 fast on said shaft, the other end of the spring being bent outward to press againstthe follower 14 in a direction to hold one end thereof in contact with the periphery of the cam 13. A second spring 21' bears against the follower, this spring being a fiat strip having one end secured to the bar 6 and bearing with its other end against the follower. The strip is fastened down on top of the bar 6 by screws 22 and it has longitudinal slots 23 so that it may be moved in the direction of its length to vary the degree of its pressure against the follower.

When the cam 13 is in motion, the follower 14 is swung about its fulcrum 17 to throw the ball 15 against the bell 16, thus sounding the latter. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the follower is in contact with the lowest point on the cam, and the ball 15 is close to the wall of the bell but not in contact therewith. As thecam starts to rotate, -against the tensionof the spring 19, and the ball 15 is retracted, and when the follower trips off the highest point of the cam, the spring 17 swings the follower in a direction-to throw the ball 15 against the bell. Before the ball strikes the bell, the follower strikes the spring 21, and after the ball has struck the bell, said spring immediately swings the follower back to retract the ball, so that the latter does not remain in contact with the bell long enough to deaden the sound.

The following means are provided for operating the cam 13 from the engine shaft 7 On the starting shaft 8 is loosely and slidably mounted a hollow shaft 24 seating at one end against a thrust bearing 25 and having its other end located in proximity to the end of the shaft 7 and provided with a friction clutch member 26 adapted to engage a that end of the follower which" the follower commences to swing friction clutch member 27 on the end of the shaft 7. The shafts 7 and 24 are coupled together by pushing the latter forward to engage its clutch member 26 with the clutch member 27.

On the shaft 24 is a gear 28 which is connected by reducing gears 29 and 30 to a gear 31 on the shaft 12, said gear 31 being fixed to the cam 13. The gears 29 and 30 are mounted 011 a shaft 32 carried by the housing 11. Through this train of gears, the motion of the shaft 24 is transmitted to the cam 13.

The shaft 24 is shifted, to engage and disengage the clutch members 26 and 27, by a lever 33 having a fork 34 which is connected to a ring 35 loosely mounted on the shaft 24 between collars 36 fast on said shaft, with anti-friction balls between said parts. The lever 33 is fulcrumed, as shown at 37, to a bracket 38 carried by a housing 39 inclosing the shaft 24. 4

Mounted at any convenient location within easy reach of the driver or other person having charge of the alarm bell, is a rock shaft 40 having at one end a crank 41 which is connected by a link 42 to the lever 33. The rock shaft has a handle 43 extending through a guide yoke 44 provided with a ratchet lock 45 engageable by the handle for locking the shaft 40. It will be seen that when the handle 43 is swung sidewise, the shaft 40 is rocked, and through its connections with the lever 33, and the connections of said lever with the shaft 24, the latter is shifted for connection with or disconnection from the engine shaft 7. The bearing 25 is slidable on the shaft 8 and a spring 46 presses thereagainst to move the shaft 24 in a direction for driving connection with the shaft 7.

The housing 11 contains a tubular member 47 which incloses that part of the shafts 8 and 24 which pass through the housing, and also the spring 46. This member forms a continuation of the housing 39 to which it is screwed or otherwise secured at the rear wall of the housing 11 as shown in Fig. 3, said wall being held between the forward end of the housing 39 and a collar 48 on the member 47 engaging the inner face of said wall. The forward end of the member 47 passes through an aperture in the front Wall of the housing 11 and has its outer end threaded to receive a cap nut 49 between which latter, and a collar 50 011 the member 47 said front wall is held. The spring 46 is coiled around the shaft 8 between the bearing 25 and the inner surface of the nut 49. The member 47 has a side aperture 51 to permit the gear 29 to come in mesh with the gear 28. The rear end of the housing 39 is fastened to a forwardly extending portion 52 of the engine crank case by a suitable coupling 53. The starting shaft 8 passes through the nut 49.

In order that the bell 16 may also be manually operated, it is provided with an ordinary clapper 54 having a pull line or other suitable operating device.

I claim:

1. The combination with the engine shaft of a motor vehicle, and a starting shaft therefor; of a hollow shaft loosely and slidably mounted on the starting shaft, cooperating clutch members on the hollow shaft and the engine shaft, clutch controlling means, an alarm mechanism, and means actuated by the hollow shaft for operating said mechanism.

2. The combination with the engine shaft of a motor vehicle and a starting shaft therefor; of a hollow shaft supported by the starting shaft and rotatable independently thereof, means for coupling the hollow shaft and the engine shaft together, an alarm mechanism, and means actuated by the hollow shaft for operating said mechanism.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.v

PHILIP G. PRIESTER.

Witnesses E. WALTON BREWINGTON, HOWARD D. ADAMs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

